The Quidditch Pitch Diaries
by heath
Summary: After an incident that happened her Second Year, she couldn't wait till her Sixth Year Quidditch season. When that was cancelled, she couldn't wait for her Seventh Year Quiddich season, only then would she be free. However, now that its here, there's so
1. Chapter One

Chapter One  
  
  
  
"Do you know what this year is?" Katie Bell asked as she propped her heels up onto her nightstand, as she rested on the back two legs of her chair. It was Friday, the first Friday of their final year at Hogwart's. She had decided to hole up here with her two best friends, and fellow Chasers on the Quidditch Team.  
  
"Our Seventh Year?" Brown haired Alicia Spinnet asked, giving Katie a bewildered look. Katie put her hands behind her head and leaned back further in her chair.  
  
"1995?" Angelina asked, looking up from her book, raising one perfectly plucked eyebrow.  
  
"Both are right, but this is much more important. This is what I have been waiting for since Second Year. Since I made the Reserve Quidditch Team." Katie removed her feet from her nightstand and both legs of her chair hit the ground with a thud. Angelina looked up startled. She then shared a shrug with Alicia, whose bed was across from hers.  
  
"Oh no," Alicia said rolling her eyes, it dawning on her what Katie was talking about. "She's on about Oliver again."  
  
"Merlin help us all," Angelina said. "Once she gets started."  
  
"No one else had a problem with him besides you Katie, even if he was a bit, crazy." Alicia went back to filing her nails with her metal file. Since Katie had complained that she could not stand the sound of emery boards, both Angelina and Alicia had nicely switched to metal.  
  
Katie took a deep breath and readied the argument she'd been trying to perfect for the last five years, well four and a half if you wanted to be technical, she hadn't been brave enough to share her loathing of all things Oliver Wood until halfway through the school year their Second Year. "Okay, you can't help but remember what a nag Oliver was, and how he used to wake us up at 5AM for Quidditch practices. And how he could have really cared less what happened to Harry, unless he caught the damned Snitch! Alicia even you were upset the night Harry almost was killed by the crazy Bludger."  
  
"Oh Katie, stop with the woe is me. And bringing up Harry into your argument," Angelina said.  
  
"If Harry had minded he would have quit the Quidditch team a long time ago," Alicia interjected. "And he was the one who told Oliver that he could handle the Bludger by himself and I know for a fact that you are just as fanatical about Gryffindor winning the House Cup as Oliver was."  
  
"Besides w all know how much you hate Oliver. You've been going on about it since Second Year and neither of us will ever forget how you broke his nose with the Quaffle during tryouts our Second Year and you wondered why you didn't make the House Team. Killing the Keeper is not exactly the best way to make a first impression, not to mention the fact that the Captain at the time had a huge crush on him, and she thought that you had killed him off." Angelina shook her head.  
  
"The reason I didn't make the House Team Second Year, is because both you and Alicia are much better Chasers. Not because the stupid Captain fancied Oliver."  
  
"Not this too, not the Alicia and Angelina are much better Quidditch players than I am so why should I even try argument," Alicia said, Katie saw her roll her eyes again.  
  
"I was not about to start that for you're information," Katie said, giving Alicia a dirty look.  
  
"Besides you never really said why you hate Oliver, the two of you got into a huge row after the Quaffle incident and neither of you have liked each other since," Angelina interjected, clearly changing the subject.  
  
"Yes, why do you hate Oliver? You've never actually told us." Both of her friends were now staring at her with interest. Katie sighed.  
  
"I just do."  
  
"C'mon tell us." She wasn't sure wither Angelina or Alicia said it, but they both moved to sit on her bed, next to where she was sitting in her chair.  
  
"You guys, no, this is really personal. I've never told anyone," Katie said, realizing instantly that she'd made a fatal mistake. The two of them would never let her alone now. They made pouty faces, and she sighed again. She might as well tell them now.  
  
"Okay, okay, but you can't tell anyone."  
  
  
  
Flashback.  
  
"What are you reading Katie?" She looked over to her left to see Angelina looking over her shoulder.  
  
"About Quidditch tryouts," Katie said, knowing what Angelina's immediate reaction would be.  
  
"How many positions are open?" Angelina immediately squealed.  
  
"Four, two Chaser and two Beater positions."  
  
"Excellent," chimed the identical voices of Fred and George Weasley.  
  
"I think Gryffindor has found its Beaters," Alicia joked from her other side.  
  
"Twins are good luck for Quidditch," one of them, Katie thought Fred, said.  
  
"Brothers are good luck," Alicia replied. "Twins are even better. It's been ages since Gryffindor won the cup."  
  
"Ah, some second years wanting to try out for the Team," said a voice with a thick Scottish accent. Katie turned around and came face to face with no one but the object of her total obsession, Oliver Wood, the Gryffindor Keeper. She felt herself blush; she was glad that her cheeks were naturally on the pink side.  
  
"Yes actually," Angelina said.  
  
"We're also, well, not just Gryffindors, but everyone, are looking for a commentator. No one that I can think of is quite cut out for the job. You've got to know a lot about Quidditch and have no problems talking for hours on end," Oliver said, looking over the three girls. She never realized how tall he was until now, and how incredibly short she felt. He looked at her directly, his brown eyes locked with her hazel ones. She felt a chill go up her spine. He was still talking but she wasn't hearing anything, in fact she was lost in her own fantasy world which involved her, Oliver, a broom closet, and her first kiss. Finally there was a sharp elbow into her right side; it was Alicia knocking her back into reality.  
  
"What?" she hissed.  
  
"I," she could hear Oliver's voice clearly again. "Was just wondering which position you were trying out for."  
  
"Oh," Katie said. "Oh, er, ah, C-Chaser. Alicia, Angelina, and I have been practicing all summer for it."  
  
"So they've told me," Oliver replied, raising an eyebrow. "Well good luck and I'll see you all down at the Pitch bright and early Saturday morning." Katie bit her lip and watched him walk away, her heart slowed down.  
  
"Just think," Angelina said. "In four days time, we'll be playing Quidditch for Gryffindor. Dad will be so proud."  
  
"Only four of us will be playing Quidditch," Alicia said sourly. "Rather, you and Katie will be Chasers, and I'll be cheering you on from the sidelines."  
  
"Cheer up," Angelina said. "Regardless, the three of us will be on the team next year until we graduate, not many people get to say that."  
  
"We haven't even tried out yet Angelina," Katie said, still recovering from her conversation with Oliver.  
  
"I just have a feeling Katie, I have a feeling." Katie shared a look with Alicia and they both rolled their eyes. Angelina always had a feeling.  
  
"That's all right, I've though of the perfect person for the commentary position," one of the twins said, in time she would have no problems telling them apart, but then it was difficult. "Think of someone with a big mouth, can't fly worth anything, and loves Quidditch."  
  
"Lee Jordan," the other four of them said immediately.  
  
  
  
"Bugger!" Katie yelled. She and Angelina were running late for Transfiguration, and she'd gotten to close to a suit of arms, it ripper her bag right open. Angelina looked at her, she could tell that she was deciding on wither or not to help her friend and face the wrath of McGonagall, or go ahead to class. "Go, tell McGonagall what happened. She won't be too cross." Angelina nodded, and her friend ran to the Transfiguration classroom. She sighed and began throwing things back into her bag. She wasn't sure how she was going to keep the bag closed.  
  
"Need help?" someone with a very familiar Scottish accent said. The hairs on the back of her neck immediately stood up. She turned to see someone, the person she thought who it was, Oliver Wood standing over her.  
  
"Sh-sh-shouldn't you be in class?" she asked, feeling her hands beginning to shake.  
  
"I was actually on my way to Divination, but Trelawney already warned me that I would be late today, so I decided to take my time," he said, now he was bending down and began putting things into her bag. They were silent as they put the remaining contents of her bag, back into her bag. She felt Oliver's hand touch hers at one point, electricity went straight up her arm, and her heart began beating so loudly, she was sure that he could hear it. She looked over at him to see him looking at her. She gulped and immediately went back to shoving things into her bag. Finally once they'd gotten everything into their bag, Oliver spoke again. "Let me show you a little Charm to fix your bag." She nodded, still unable to speak. He showed her the Charm, and she stood up and slung the bag back over her shoulder.  
  
"Thank you," she said. She turned too quickly because of her nerves, and this time, didn't snag her bag, but bumped her head on the suit of armor. She immediately fell on the floor, flat on her bum, embarrassed as hell. She knew now that her face was a brilliant shade of red.  
  
"Are you okay Katie?" Oliver asked, standing above her. He knew her name, her heart sang. He offered his hand, and she reached for it. More electricity flew up her arm as she stood up. She gave him a small grateful smile when she was finally upright. "Let me check your head, you might need to see Madame Pomfrey." Oliver now stood over her, she gulped again. He was leaning down, so close, that if she wanted to, she could easily lean up and kiss him. Why not, a little voice asked in her head. Katie was never one to back down from anything, she was brave, she was a Gryffindor in fact, and a proud one too boot. So she did. She stood up on the tips of her toes and pressed her lips against his, it was an excellent kiss for being her first, and the fact that she was only twelve. The kiss probably only last two seconds, but to Katie it seemed like two hours. She pulled back from Oliver, shocked by her own daring; his jaw was dropped, in a very attractive sort of manor, if you didn't mind a guy who could attract flies. He didn't say anything, and suddenly she felt like a fool. So she did the only thing that a twelve year old could do in her position, she ran down the hall towards the Transfiguration classroom.  
  
  
  
"You kissed Oliver and never told us?!" Angelina shrieked, hitting the now seventeen year old Katie over the head with a pillow.  
  
"You hate Oliver because you kissed him in second year?!" Alicia shrieked.  
  
"No, there's more, the two of you interrupted me!" Katie said, dodging more blows from Angelina. "Is there more about you and Oliver snogging?" Angelina asked, with raised eyebrows.  
  
"I was twelve!" Katie replied. "Twelve year olds do not snog."  
  
"Someone's got their mind in the gutter," Alicia said, with a sly grin.  
  
"She does date Fred," Katie said, her grin matching Alicia's.  
  
"Oh and the two of you are just the most clean minded people here at Hogwart's. I remember when Alicia gave me the last blow by blow of her date with Lee, and Katie, you're always asking for the good stuff," Angelina said. "Besides this isn't about me, this is about why Katie hates Oliver. So finish."  
  
"Yes Katie, finish." Alicia echoed Angelina.  
  
"This is what happened next."  
  
  
  
Flashback.  
  
It was Friday night and Katie forgotten her Charms homework in the Common Room. She didn't trust Fred and George to let it alone the next morning. Besides, she would probably forget about it, the next morning was Quidditch tryouts. She slipped down the steps and was about to step out into the Common Room where there was Oliver Wood, surrounded by some of his fellow Fourth Years. He could not catch her in her flannel pajamas, stalking around the Common Room at night. She slid back up the steps, and was about to stand up and head to her dorm room when she heard part of their conversation.  
  
"Those Second Years, trying out for the Quidditch Team," a girl with a thick Irish accent said. "Do they think that they'll actually make the team?" She heard a few others laugh, and her face went bright red.  
  
"Obviously, they are trying out," replied a boy.  
  
"I heard them talking in the corridors, they really believe they can make the team. There's the black girl, the girl with the brown hair, the two red headed twins, they might actually make the team, they are Charlie's Weasley's younger brother," said the girl with the Irish accent.  
  
"Then there's the scrawny little blonde girl," said another girl. "If she were to play Quidditch, she'd be blown off course. I expect that she'll want to take over my Seeker position. No good little brat, what do you think Oliver?" Katie's heart stopped as she waited to hear Oliver's reply. She wanted to hear him stick up for her, even though she hadn't said a word to him since the kiss incident. He had waved to her a couple times, and she had very shyly waved back. Alicia and Angelina had both given her weird looks each time this happened.  
  
"Oliver?" the girl asked again.  
  
"Oh yes," Oliver said and her heart stopped. She ran up the steps to her dorm, blinking the tears back from her eyes.  
  
  
  
"What a prick!" Angelina yelled.  
  
"I can't bloody believe it!" Alicia yelled as well.  
  
"Shh, you'll wake the whole Tower and the two of you know the rest. I purposely broke Oliver's nose the next day at tryouts, he and I got into a bit row," Katie hissed. "And the best thing is that no more Oliver this year, a Quidditch season without him. It's a dream come true. Now move, I'm tired." She pulled her long hair up into a ponytail, and pulled the covers off of her bed once her two friends moved off of it. She pulled the covers down and slid into the warm covers.  
  
"Yes a whole Quidditch season without Oliver. I'm in luck." She however did not notice the looks that Angelina and Alicia gave each other before they two climbed into their own beds.  
  
  
  
"We have to tell her Angelina! She's going to kill you!" Alicia hissed the next morning when they headed down the breakfast. Katie had still been asleep, so they'd left her in bed to sleep. That morning Angelina and the rest of the Quidditch team were holding tryouts for the Keeper position. Angelina bit her lip; she knew that Alicia was right; in fact Alicia was always right.  
  
"She's going to kill both of us, once she finds out that I told you and not her," Angelina hissed back, as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.  
  
"Especially after she gave us the whole story last night," Alicia brushing her long hair out of her face and pulling it back into a barrette.  
  
"What story?" Angelina looked up to see Fred sliding into the seat next to her. He kissed her affectionately on the cheek.  
  
"Er," Angelina said.  
  
"We haven't told Katie about Oliver yet," Alicia said, talking over Angelina.  
  
"You still haven't told her?" Now Harry was sliding into a seat on Angelina's other side. "She's going to kill us all." "Thanks for the confidence Harry," Angelina said.  
  
"No problem," Harry said, with a cheeky grin. Pretty soon George and Lee had joined them at the table, Lee sliding in next to Alicia who began smiling broadly. They began talking, making up excuses as to why it was a good thing that they hadn't told Katie yet.  
  
"This whole O-" Angelina was saying when she received a sharp kick under the table from Alicia. She looked up to see Katie sliding into the seat next to Harry. "Oy, oy, its late, we better go to the Quidditch Pitch." Harry snorted into his bacon, Fred was trying not to laugh, Alicia's tan face was unnaturally pale, and Katie looked confused. "Or, or, or I can go to the Quidditch Pitch.and Alicia and Katie can get the balls from O- the new flying instructors office." Alicia was now paler than ever.  
  
"Did we find out who is replacing Madame Hooch while she's on holiday this year?" Katie asked, between bites of her eggs.  
  
"Er, no," Angelina said. "I'mgoingtotheQuidditchPitch," she said sprinting out of the hall. She could hear someone behind her and saw that it was Fred. "She's going to kill us."  
  
"Why couldn't you just tell her then?" Fred asked, looking a bit confused.  
  
"We were going to last night. Then she told us why she hates Oliver, don't even bother asking I can't tell you." Fred immediately shut his mouth. "But it's a good reason." Fred reassuredly squeezed her hand, and they made the rest of their way out to Pitch where there were Keeper hopefuls already flying around. She spotted Oliver in the middle of the field, talking to Dean Thomas, who in her opinion had the best chance of making the team. Oliver spotted her and gave her the male head nod, the universal one that you immediately knew that they were saying hello with.  
  
"Oliver," she said, once she got close enough. The only good thing about Katie's grudge against Oliver was that she didn't expect the rest of them to not like him. She was fully okay with the rest of them being properly friendly with them.  
  
"It's my protégé!" Oliver said, throwing his arm around her. "It's been what a year since I last saw you?"  
  
"Year and a half," Angelina replied, looking out for Katie. She was sure that she would be dead within the hour.  
  
"So are you dating this big thug, or was he attempting to hit on you again?" Oliver asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"You know he follows me everywhere, so I try no t to hurt his ego too badly," Angelina teased.  
  
"Very funny. If you're lucky Wood, I won't punch you for hitting on my girl," Fred said, pulling Angelina towards him in a mock possessive manor, which made both Oliver and her laugh.  
  
"So where is the rest of team?" Oliver asked looking around.  
  
"Breakfast," Fred said. The three of them began talking and lost total track of time, until they heard a shrill which sounded a lot like Katie's. Angelina shuddered and turned to see Katie, who had the Quaffle in her hand, and an open box of Quidditch balls at her feet.  
  
"What is he doing here?!" she demanded. "Is he arrogant enough to think that we can't pick out a bloody Keeper good enough to replace him?!" Katie was looking at the rest of the Quidditch team who had made it out to the field unnoticed by Angelina.  
  
"Not exactly," Oliver said, looking around confused. He threw Angelina a look that clearly asked 'Is there a bloody good reason that you haven't told her yet?'  
  
"Katie." Angelina started to say.  
  
"Er." Alicia was saying, looking wildly around, seeing if anyone could help them. The Keeper wannabes had stopped practicing, and were now scattered around seeing what the commotion was about. Angelina bit her lip and looked at the rest of the team, who suddenly couldn't look her in the eyes. They knew what was coming too, even Harry who hadn't witnessed most of Katie's personal vendetta against Oliver. She was always extremely well behaved during practices. Katie's face was now a brilliant, very brilliant shade of red, and she was shaking. Finally Oliver spoke, breaking the eerie silence.  
  
"I'm the new Flying Instructor at Hogwart's, and Angelina's asked me to be the Gryffindor Coach." Oliver didn't even have a chance to move, though Angelina suspected he knew what was about to happen. A Quaffle came flying straight at his face, knocking him flat.  
  
  
  
A/N: I should be working on my other stories, but the inspiration for this one hit! It must be all the time I've been spending at S.H.A.L.L.O.W. to write an Oliver-centric story! I've never been able to write a chapter this long before though, and in only two sitting, it just flowed out of my fingertips! Woo hoo, the only bad thing is now, I'll be thinking about it all night at work.like I did this morning and last night. 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
  
  
Oliver forgot one key item upon his return to the place where he'd received his magical education. The infamous Katie Bell temper. Most people if they knew anything about Katie, knew two things about her, the first being that she was an excellent Chaser, the second was that she had a wicked temper that rivaled Snape's.  
  
He now lay on the flat of his back, staring up at the red Quaffle on his face. Katie had thrown the Quaffle at him, and hard, knocking him flat on the ground. Luckily though, this time, he thought, she hadn't broken his nose. The Quaffle rolled off his face, as well as it could roll, and he looked up and saw the Gryffindor Quidditch team sans Katie standing over him.  
  
"You dead Wood?" Potter asked.   
  
"No, Potter, I'm still alive. You may want to keep the Quaffle away from the she-beast though," he said.   
  
He felt the Weasley Twins pull him up and he brushed the grass off of him. He took a second to look at the six members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Alicia was still as doe eyed as ever, taller now, but still she had looks that made many men turn when she walked passed, light brown skin, big brown eyes. Angelina looked exactly the same, as she had when he left. Dark skin, dark eyes, and the perfect build for a Chaser. Tall but not too tall, thin, but not too thin, unlike Alicia who was built more like a Seeker. Fred and George were still built like Beaters, a little taller and thinner now, but they were still enough to put fear in the hearts of Chasers everywhere. Then there was little Harry, he'd probably changed the most. He was taller, and lankier. He also felt older, Oliver mused. But that probably came from dueling with You-Know-Who, and seeing the death of another student less than three months ago. Harry though, had seemed to pretty much put this behind him, and he looked rather happy today. Then his eyes roamed to Katie, his bane, the thorn in his side. Katie was scowling at him from the table that he had been setting up when Angelina came out to the field. He couldn't' figure that girl out. All he knew was one day Katie kissed him and a few days later, she'd broken his nose, and they spent an hours screaming at each other on the Quidditch Pitch. Since then Katie had said as little to him as possible, and the little she did ever say to him, well it was never very nice.  
  
Oliver noticed that she had grown taller, actually quite a bit taller. She was about the same height now as Angelina and the Weasley twins, but she still seemed so small. She wasn't as thin as Alicia anymore, not that it was a bad thing, he thought. He'd told Alicia more than once she needed to gain some weight.  
  
"You all right Oliver?" Angelina asked, looking concerned, bringing him back to the real world.  
  
"Of course." He brushed the dirt off of his knee, taking a determined look at the table, grabbed the Quaffle, and marched over to the table. "This belongs to you. You may want to tighten your grip, it really shouldn't slip out of your hands like that."  
  
Katie roughly squeezed the ball and yanked it out of his hands. He still had a hard time believing that this was the same girl that had kissed him all those years ago. The dark blonde hair and hazel eyes were still the same, the round face and red cheeks too. However the scowl was a new edition, he thought. And not a very good one.   
  
"Here's what I thought Oliver," Angelina said, pulling him out of his thoughts. She explained to him what she thought, have everyone sign up, watch Oliver try to defend against one of the Chasers, then set up a series of exercises, have them go one on one with one of the Chasers, then finally scrimmaging them with the full team, two at a time.   
  
"What do you think Oliver?"  
  
"The exact same idea that I had," he replied, grinning at her. "In fact that's what we did the year that you all tried out; Harry was easier, McGonagall found him for us."  
  
"Too true," Angelina said. "I was thinking about sending you up against Alicia for them to watch."  
  
"Why not have the three of you up in the air? It will be a lot more realistic, often times you don't know which Chaser will be up against you until its too late," he suggested, even though he knew that his life would be endangered if he was anywhere near Katie with the Quaffle again this afternoon.  
  
"Are you sure Oliver?" Angelina asked, looking visibly worried. Oliver knew what she was thinking.  
  
"We've done this a hundred times; Katie is not going to decapitate me with the Quaffle. Now come on."  
  
  
Katie sat in full Quidditch garb in a chair at the table with Harry, Fred, George, and Alicia. They had just gone through and signed everyone up, Seamus Finnigan had tried to make a pass at her, which resulted in her rolling her eyes and 'accidentally' kicking him. He winced and she had seen Harry just shaking his head out of the corner of her eye. Oliver and Angelina were standing in front of the crowd of about ten hopefuls. She noticed that most of the sixth, fifth, and fourth year Gryffindors were here, and there were even the odd third and second year.  
  
"So next we're going to show you what a good Keeper needs to be able to do,"   
  
Angelina said. She wasn't paying too much attention to her friend though. Katie stretched her arms over her head and yawned, then propped her feet on the edge of the table, pushing against it. "Katie, Alicia, and I are going to go up in the air against Oliver." Alicia tapped her leg, when Angelina said that, which was just enough to throw her off balance and send her crashing into Harry. However, the crashing didn't stop there, the two of them rolled into George's chair, who promptly fell, with the chair, on top of Harry and Katie.  
  
"Get your fat arse off of me George," Katie said, seeing Harry at her left, looking confused.  
  
"Now Katie, were you that anxious to snog Harry that you had to interrupt Angelina?" said the person that belonged to the Scottish accent that she had hated for the past five years. She looked up to see Oliver and Angelina standing over them, Oliver with a smirk, that at this point, would love to just smack right off his face.  
  
"Shut up Wood," Katie snapped.  
  
"Is that anyway to talk to a teacher Katie?" Oliver asked raising an eyebrow.  
  
"You're my coach, not my teacher, now shut up and help us up." Oliver kept any and all snide comments to himself and helped the three of them, along with the chairs, to disentangle themselves. When they were all standing, and after they'd made sure that no one had any broken bones, she, Angelina, and Alicia got on their brooms and did a couple of warm up laps around the Pitch. The hopefuls were now sitting in the stands; Harry, Fred, and George were standing on the actual Pitch. She saw Angelina swoop down to talk to them.   
Alicia flew in at the corner of her left eye. She looked at her friend. Alicia stopped and winked, she knew what she was going to do. Katie flew straight forward.  
  
"One, two," Katie said to herself. "Three." On three, the red Quaffle came flying in front of her from behind just as practiced. She caught it one handed and there was a cheer from the crowd. She grinned. She was back in the air, right where she belonged. She turned to see Alicia grinning at her. What they had just done, was something that the two of them had been working on for quite a while. It had taken the two of them the better part of a year to get the timing down, however last year without Quidditch they'd had more than enough time. The only bad thing about the play was that she had to see Alicia wink to know exactly what was going on. It would probably be a lot harder to do that during an actual match. Regardless, it had been fun to work on last year, and it had brought her and Alicia a lot closer.  
  
"Nice move Bell." She tuned to see Oliver hovering to her left. "You're a lot more graceful up here than you are on the ground."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"So you have been working since I left. I figured that when I heard that Quidditch was cancelled last year, you'd be slacking off."  
  
"Wouldn't you like to think that you were the only thing keeping Gryffindor Quidditch going? We're perfectly capable of holding practice and working hard ourselves."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"So why are you here?"  
  
"To teach flying."  
  
"No Oliver, why are you here? Why are you going to coach Gryffindor? We're perfectly capable of handling ourselves; you know that, I know that, Angelina knows that. Why are you here?"  
  
"That Miss Bell," Oliver said with his one eyebrow raised. A shudder went through Katie's spine for some reason when he said her name like that. It was so soft. So perfect. For a bloody second, a voice in her screamed at full volume. This is Oliver. Oliver Wood. Your arch-nemesis, remember Katie, remember! "Is none of your business. Happy flying." Katie crashed back down into the real world with startling velocity. Katie tore after Oliver, Quaffle in hand. She was going to give them something to see all right.  
  
  
****  
  
  
"I think we can narrow it down," Angelina said. Alicia looked up at her friend who was holding a piece of paper in front of her. It was now after tryouts and the Gryffindor Quidditch team was gathered around the table set up outside. Tryouts had gone really well. Well, except for her, Angelina, and Katie going up against Oliver. Katie had been, well, violent. Actually, Alicia mused, violent was an understatement. She'd tried to take Oliver's head off, and nearly succeeded too. "Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, and Ginny Weasley."  
  
"I thought Dean or Parvati," Katie said.  
  
"What about Ginny?" Fred asked.  
  
"Don't play favorites," Angelina said with a smile. Fred made a 'Who me?' sort of look.  
  
"C'mon Angelina," George said. "We all know that you fancy Dean to make it."  
  
"Maybe she just fancies Dean," Katie said. She saw her grinning. Angelina and Fred both gave her a dirty look.  
  
"How are we going to decide?" Harry asked.   
  
"Who do you think Harry?" Angelina asked.  
  
"Dean or Parvati. Like Katie, I can't make up my mind."  
  
"And this has nothing to do with them both being in your year?" Alicia asked, raising her eyebrow.  
  
"Of course not. Who do you think then Alicia?"  
  
"Parvati."  
  
Angelina sighed. "So we have no clear cut winner, and two people can't make up their minds, Harry and Katie."  
  
"So?" Katie replied with a grin. "All three are actually quite good. Dean and Parvati just have something that Ginny doesn't."  
  
"Actually, Ginny may be my sister, but I'm going with Parvati," George said. "This is Quidditch, nothing to do with family."  
  
"I agree, I agree," Fred said. "But I'm still voting for Ginny."  
  
Alicia grinned at her friend who was shaking her head. She was never going to get this lot to agree. "Can we decide within an hour, I do have a Prefects meeting." She then realized that was not the thing to say. She was mocked for the next ten minutes about being a Prefect, mostly from George, Fred, and Harry.  
  
"Okay, okay, we'll do this the old fashioned way," Angelina grumbled.   
  
"What we'll fight each other?" Katie asked.  
  
"Only if its you versus Oliver, round two hundred and twelve," Fred muttered  
  
"You've been counting?" Harry asked.   
  
"Well you see young Harry, it's been quite easy to keep track of. I just counted how many Quidditch practices we've ever had, and that's how many rows those two have had," Fred said, grinning at Katie. Katie in return made a rude gesture with her hand. Angelina gave both of them reproachful looks. Harry, George, and Alicia just laughed at them.  
  
Angelina conjured a hat, parchment, and six quills. "Okay write down on your parchment who you want to win." She passed out the parchment and passed it out along with the quills.   
  
Alicia quickly wrote down Parvati and folded her parchment. She dropped it into the hat that Angelina was holding and waited for everyone else to vote. She honestly thought that Parvati was the best person for the job. She was quick. She had blocked almost every single one of their shots during their scrimmage. She had even noticed Parvati paying close attention to Oliver's every move while he was in the air. Of course, she could also just be another member of Oliver's infamous fan club, the one that during fifth year, Katie threatened to kill every member of if they didn't stop giggling and delaying the start of every Quidditch practice. After that, they just resorted to stopping him in the hallways, though she wasn't sure that Oliver had caught on to why they were. Oliver, who was smarter than anyone when it came to Quidditch, was pretty daft, make that really daft, when it came to anything to do with girls. More than one girl had asked Oliver to go with her to Hogsmeade, and Oliver's reply was the same every time, Er, isn't everyone going? Oliver had always been too obsessed with Quidditch to pay attention to much else, especially girls.  
  
"Okay," Angelina said, pulling Alicia from her thoughts. "I'll read each one as I pull it out." Angelina stuck her hand into the hat. "Parvati…Ginny, Dean, Parvati, Dean, and a vote for Dean and Parvati." Angelina was eyeing the parchment. "Wait a minute, Harry this is your writing!"  
  
"I couldn't choose!" Harry exclaimed. "They were both really good!" Angelina rolled her eyes, and Alicia giggled.  
  
"This is QUIDDITCH! QUIDDITCH! Gryffindor has to have a good Keeper, think deep down, who is the best person for the job; it's either one or the other, not both!" They all looked at each other wide eyed. That was truly scary, and not very Angelina like. Angelina was even tempered, and never yelled, and not scary, like now.  
  
"Wow, that was very Oliver of you Angelina," Fred said. "Now please promise to never do that again." They all laughed, including Angelina.  
  
"Make a choice Harry." Angelina was staring at Harry. "Dean or Parvati."  
  
"You know she wants Dean to be on the team," Katie whispered into her left ear.  
  
"You voted for Parvati too?" Alicia asked.  
  
"Nah, I voted for Dean."  
  
"Okay, okay," Harry finally said. "Let's redo the vote, I'll only choose one this time."  
  
"Promise?" Angelina asked. Harry nodded and Angelina gave them all new pieces of parchment. Alicia quickly wrote down Parvati's name again and put it the hat once more.   
  
Angelina smiled; soon everyone else had also put their names in the hat.  
  
"Parvati, Dean, Dean, Parvati, Ginny…" Angelina was pausing, and Alicia was about to get up and smack her friend if she didn't announce who won soon. She looked down at her watch. She had to beat the Prefects meeting in twenty minutes, and she hoped that they would hurry up. She wanted to be here for this, but she could already hear Roger Davies's voice in her head if she was late. 'Alicia, we're Prefects, if we don't follow rules, how can we expect the other students to?'   
  
"C'mon Angelina!" Katie said. "Hurry it up!"  
  
"Okay okay," Angelina said, but she was smiling. "Dean is the new Gryffindor Keeper."  
  
  
****  
  
  
"Go ahead and go tell him Angelina," Katie said, cleaning up after tryouts. "I know you're dying to tell him."  
  
"Are you sure?" Angelina asked. "Fred and George have already headed off to Hogsmeade to get things for the Gryffindor has a new Keeper party and Alicia's gone to that Prefects meeting."  
  
"I think I can handle it," Katie said smiling at her friend. "Besides Harry is still here, I can make him my slave." She winked at Harry where he was standing and he blushed.   
  
Both Angelina and Katie laughed.  
  
"Actually Katie, I've got to meet Ron and Hermione in the library, Hermione's already going on about how we need to study for the O.W.L.'s," he said, shaking his head.  
  
"Okay," she said, shrugging. "So I'll do it myself, anything for my Captain."  
  
"Are you sure?" Angelina asked with a raised eyebrow.   
  
"Positive," Katie said. "Now you and Harry scamper off. Harry make sure that Hermione doesn't keep you too long, there's the party in the Common Room that Fred and George decided we're having."  
  
"All I have to do is say the word party and Ron will make sure that we're there, much to Hermione's chagrin," Harry said.   
  
"Well, lets go Harry, I'll walk you to the library, I've got an idea for a play that I want to run by you," Angelina said, as she and Harry walked away. Katie shook her head and began picking up miscellaneous pieces of equipment. She couldn't understand how people could leave perfectly good Quidditch equipment just lying about. Even Fred and George, who were the two most irresponsible members of the team, never left anything relating to Quidditch lying about.   
  
Twenty minutes later, she had everything picked up and put into the locker room they belonged to. She was putting the Quaffle back into the box when she heard someone behind her.  
  
"Why are you still out here?" She turned to see Oliver standing not two yards behind her, in a charcoal jumper and corduroy trousers.   
  
"Cleaning up," Katie said, shutting the box. She stood up and picked the box up by its handle.   
  
"Shouldn't Angelina or someone be helping you out?" he asked, looking around.  
  
"Fred and George are, erm, somewhere," she said, it dawning on her that now that Oliver was a teacher, she probably shouldn't tell him exactly where Fred and George went. She didn't want them getting into trouble.  
  
"Off to Hogsmeade then?" He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Er, maybe. Harry's in the library, Angelina couldn't wait to tell Dean, and Alicia had a Prefect's meeting and these belong in your office, so I think I can give them to you now."   
  
She put the box down at his feet and was starting to walk away.  
  
"This is the most civil conversation that we've had since you the day you kissed me in the Transfiguration corridor." Katie felt herself pale and she turned around. She was almost positive that he wouldn't remember that, in fact she had convinced herself that he didn't remember. The night in the Common Room proved it, didn't it? "Don't tell me you forgot about that Katie, I sure haven't."  
  
"No I haven't forgotten," she said regaining some of her composure.   
  
Oliver looked down at his feet. "I always wondered what had happened to make you hate me so much. I've thought about it, almost everyday since the day we got into the huge row after you broke my nose, and I haven't been able to figure it out. I asked Angelina and Alicia, but every time I asked, they replied something like, like you don't know, or wouldn't answer me at all."  
  
"They don't, or rather didn't know Oliver, but don't try to pretend that you don't know."  
  
"I don't."  
  
Katie rolled her eyes. "Whatever Oliver, I heard you that night."  
  
"What night?!"   
"The night in the Common Room, I was on the steps! I heard what you said!"  
  
"What are you talking about?! I've never said a seriously bad thing about you in my life!"  
  
"What about the she beast comment earlier?"  
  
"That was a joke; you and everyone else know it too." He took a step towards her.  
  
"Look I don't have time to play these stupid games Oliver!" Katie was now yelling.   
  
"There is the damn case." She gave him a fake smile. "Now I've done what I have to. You can take these back to your office. I'm going to join the rest of my house in my Common Room." Katie stormed away from an opened mouthed Oliver. If she had turned around, she would have noticed him watching her until she entered the castle. However, she didn't. She made her way, broom in hand, to the Gryffindor Common Room, for what proved to be an excellent party. 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
  
  
The seventh year Gryffindors had a silent pact. They never talked about what was going on with You-Know-Who, and they never spoke of Cedric's death. They didn't try to pretend that it wasn't going on or hadn't happened; they just wanted to enjoy their last year of Hogwarts. The last year that they would truly feel safe, therefore they didn't feel the need to talk about it. However that morning, it came crashing down in front of Katie. She received her usual post owl that morning, nearly a month later, the Daily Prophet came, and the headline made Katie sick.  
  
Death of Tri-Wizard Champ Deemed Suicide  
  
"This is the most damned insulting thing I've ever seen in my life," Katie said angrily, slamming her fist on the table. Angelina and Alicia looked at her, startled. She noticed Harry looking sad, a few seats down from her. He looked up at her. She realized that he'd heard her.  
  
"You haven't read the whole article then," he said, over the second years between them. "Biggest load of dung I've read in my whole life, worse than Rita Skeeter." Katie tried to smile at Harry, but she couldn't. She just looked at him. He gave her a small, fake smile and returned to his food.  
  
"How could they do that to Cedric?" Angelina asked reading over her shoulder. "How can they? Are they that desperate to cover the fact that You-Know-Who is back?"   
  
"It's disgusting," Alicia said simply. Katie nodded and looked back down at the article, which was short.  
  
The Ministry has ended its almost four month probe into the death of Hogwarts student and Tri-Wizard Champion, Cedric Diggory. They've deemed Diggory's death a suicide, even though some sources say that it was the work of You-Know-Who's followers, and some even say, You-Know-Who himself. Harry Potter, a witness to the suicide, was not available for comment. Amos Diggory however was, but he does not agree with the Ministry's findings. His comment also was not suitable for print or small children. Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School or Witchcraft and Wizardry, simply stated that the Ministry needed 'to get their facts straight'.  
  
"They wanted to question Harry! Have they no shame?" Angelina asked over her shoulder. Katie just shook her head; tears of anger began forming in her eyes. This wasn't fair to Cedric, she thought, or Harry or the Diggorys. Hell, this wasn't fair to any of them. She looked back down at Harry, who wasn't saying anything; he just looked lost, pushing his food around his plate. His two friends were trying to talk to him, perhaps to change the subject. They weren't having much success. She shook her head and returned her attention to Alicia and Angelina.  
  
"Poor Harry," she said softly. "I wish there was something we could do."  
  
"There is," Angelina said. "We simply do what we have been doing; we get on with our lives. If we dwell on this, so will he. We'll just be his supportive Quidditch team. He knows that if he ever needs anything he can come to us."  
  
"You're right." Katie gave Angelina a smile. "He thinks about it enough. We'll make sure that when he's around us, he won't have to."  
  
"We'll talk of Quidditch and everything else that's happy," Angelina added. Katie nodded.  
  
"Are you sure?" Alicia asked, her eyes wide. "Doesn't it help for someone to get over something by talking about it?"  
  
"He has Ron and Hermione for that," Angelina said. "We're his Quidditch team mates. If he wants to tell us about it, he'll talk to us. Until then..."  
  
Alicia still looked skeptical, but said nothing. She just went back to eating her eggs in silence.  
  
"Did you hear that the Holyhead Harpies won?" Katie asked, changing the subject all together, hoping to lighten the mood at the table.  
  
"Leave it to Katie to totally change the topic," Alicia said, now smiling.  
  
"Well we're agreed on the other," Angelina said, taking a bite of her eggs. "And Quidditch is the best way I know of to change a topic."  
  
"Speaking of Quidditch," Katie said with her eyebrows raised. "Isn't our first game against Ravenclaw?" Katie never got an answer. There was something like an explosion from where Harry was sitting. The youngest Weasley boy, Ron, was standing up, yelling at a blonde boy whose name she couldn't remember. She knew that he was the Slytherin Seeker, and that's all she needed to know.  
  
"Sit down, Ron. He's not worth it," she heard Harry say.   
  
"Besides Weasel, I wasn't talking to you anyway, I just wanted to know why Scarface here didn't have time to tell the reporters what really happened with Cedric?" the blonde boy said with a smirk, and loud enough to make the whole hall quit their conversations. "Too busy signing autographs?"  
  
"Shut up Malfoy," Hermione said. "Just shut your mouth."  
  
"What is his problem?" Katie hissed.   
  
"That's the same boy that called Hermione a Mudblood in our fourth year," Angelina said in an undertone. "He's bad news."  
  
"There's a news flash," Alicia muttered.  
  
Katie watched him move his cold grey eyes back to Harry. "Or maybe it's because it's your fault." Thinking back, Katie remembered that if she thought it was quiet then, it became even quieter, but that was only the calm before the storm. Quickly the hall exploded with noise, Katie herself, tried to stand up and get to Malfoy, but Angelina grabbed her.  
  
"This is not your fight," she muttered.  
  
"It's Harry!" Katie yelled, but her protest was drowned out. Apparently Ron had lept across the table and pounced on the blonde boy. In fact, they almost knocked Alicia and an unsuspecting second year off the benches. Katie and Angelina stood on their seats to watch the fray. She could hear Alicia yelling at them to stop, but Alicia was smart, she wasn't doing anything besides yelling.   
  
Katie looked at the Head Table. It was deserted, as the teachers were trying to get to the fighting boys. But their path was blocked, and no one was showing any sign of moving. The boys rolled under the Gryffindor table. Katie, scared that they would tip, decided to try and step down onto the floor. Angelina was doing the same, but their thought came too late. The worst possible point that the scuffling boys could have hit the bench that the two of them were standing on, they did. Both Angelina and Katie flew back into the wall, and the bench made a cluttering sound on the floor. Katie waited to make impact with the wall cringing, but she felt arms around her, stopping her. She turned to see someone she hadn't expected. Oliver Wood had saved her from flying into the wall.  
  
  
  
  
"You know Katie, when a guy saves your life, or at least your head from bashing into a wall, you're supposed to say thank you. Not 'get your filthy grimy hands off of me you child molesting badger' and then stomp on his foot," Angelina said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"It was stone wall, and stone is hard, which means you could have cracked that odd little head of yours," Alicia added, talking to Katie like she had suddenly become stupid, which Angelina secretly thought had happened.  
  
"It was Oliver! What else was I supposed to do?!" Katie said, swinging her back pack dangerously close to Angelina. Angelina backed away. She knew how accident prone her friend was.  
  
"How about gee thanks Oliver, you saved my head from breaking open, you're a swell guy," Angelina suggested.  
  
"Especially since he saved your blonde hair from being a lovely shade of red," Alicia said. Angelina shared a look with her,   
and they both rolled their eyes. Katie was being quite the baby about the whole thing.  
  
"Look, what do you guys want me to say? 'Oh Oliver! Thank you SO much for saving my life, now I can I follow you around with the rest of your groupies, and make up clever acronyms to call our little group, where I can share with the rest of your followers the story of how you saved my life?!" Katie asked, stopping in the hall, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"How about a simple thank you?" Angelina said, raising an eyebrow. Katie just made a face.  
  
"All you need to do is say, thanks, not join his fan club. Quit being dramatic," Alicia said. "Besides, how would you feel if you saved someone from splattering their brains on the wall of the Great Hall and they didn't say thank you?"  
  
"I wasn't about to splatter my brains on the wall of the Great Hall," Katie mumbled.  
  
"You get the idea. Now are you going to apologize?" Alicia was now tapping her foot.  
  
"Yes Mummy," Katie mocked. Angelina tried not to laugh herself. Alicia was doing her best Mummy dearest impression, even though she never meant to. Alicia herself smiled, something she rarely ever did when one of them called her Mummy.  
  
"You really do need to apologize, that was really rude of you." Katie looked at Angelina hopefully.  
  
"I agree with her," Angelina said. "It's horrid of you not to do otherwise."  
  
Katie's head dropped, Angelina knew that she knew she would have to apologize. Especially since her two very best friends were both up against her.  
  
"So tonight at Quidditch practice, you're going to apologize and say, 'thanks Oliver for preventing me from flying into a stone wall.' Right?" Alicia asked. Katie grumbled.  
  
"I think we can take that as a yes," Angelina said, grinning.  
  
"I will, as long as I don't have to do it in front of the rest of the team, and the two of you never speak of this again," Katie was looking down at the ground. Alicia and Angelina shared grins.  
  
"Fine, fine," Alicia said. "As long as you do it."  
  
  
  
  
"Shite," Alicia said looking at her watch. She was going to be late to another Prefect's meeting. Angelina had delayed her after Ancient Runes. They were speculating on how many shades of red Katie's face would turn after apologizing to Oliver, which of course made her late to the Prefect's meeting. She skidded into the empty Arithmancy classroom that they used for meetings and saw Roger Davies glaring at her. She took her usual seat next to him; she hated the fact that she was the only seventh year Gryffindor Prefect. Damn those boys for always screwing around, she thought. She looked to see Roger still staring at her.  
  
"Problem Davies?" she asked.  
  
"You're late. Again. What's the point in having you be a Prefect if you're constantly late?" he asked. "Oh that's right, the rest of the Gryffindors in your year spend so much time screwing around, you were the only choice."  
  
"Shut up Roger," Hermione said where she was seated with Dean Thomas, and the rest of the fifth year prefects, except the two Slytherins. They always sat in the back. "Besides the Head Boy and Girl aren't even here yet."   
  
The room filled with snickers. Alicia couldn't help snickering herself. Rose Fawcett and William Stebbins, the Head Girl and Boy, were a couple. They were both also notoriously late for Prefect's meetings.   
  
"Maybe Rose's tongue got stuck down William's throat again?" Padma Patil, a fifth year Ravenclaw Prefect suggested.   
  
Everyone sniggered until finally Roger, who everyone secretly suspected harbored a crush on Rose, spoke up.  
  
"I hardly think that this conversation is appropriate for Prefects." Roger then, pompously fixed his tie. He was worse than Percy Weasley sometimes, Alicia thought, rolling her eyes.  
  
"Oh shut up Davies," Malfoy said from the back. Alicia turned to see Malfoy sitting in his chair, much like Katie usually did, propped up on the back two legs. She secretly hoped that he would fall flat on his arse, much like Katie was prone to do, but he didn't.   
  
Finally, after a twenty minute discussion on why Rose and William could possibly be late, and endless tutting from Roger, which annoyed everyone, they showed up.  
  
"Did you get 'lost' again?" Blaise Zabini, the other fifth year Slytherin Prefect, asked.  
  
"No, Blaise, but thank you for the inquiry," Rose said, giving Blaise a death glare. "We were talking with Dumbledore."  
  
"Was it about Mr. Malfoy's lovely show this morning at breakfast?" Hermione asked, sounding hopeful.  
  
"Shut up Granger," Malfoy replied.  
  
"No actually it's about something a lot more important," William said. "Although, Draco, if you feel the urge to put on another display like that again, you will lose that shiny Prefect's badge that you love so much." Alicia could almost hear Draco's scowl.   
  
"It's about You-Know-Who." The room was instantly quiet. Everyone was facing the Head Boy and Girl. Even the usual background whispers were gone. She could even hear Draco's chair legs hit the floor. "Even though the Daily Prophet hasn't been reporting it, the attacks by You-Know-Who have been increasing steadily, especially in the Hogsmeade vicinity."  
  
"Dumbledore is worried that he might be planning something to do with the students," Rose said, interrupting William.  
  
"You mean Harry?" Dean asked.  
"No, we're worried about all the students, we don't believe Harry is a target right now," William answered.  
  
"What do you mean Harry isn't a target?" Padma asked. "He's got a bloody scar on his forehead that says 'You-Know-Who come and kill me!' Of course he's a target!" Alicia nodded in agreement. There were nods from everyone, even the Slytherins.  
  
"Well, we're not doing this specifically for Harry's benefit," Rose said. "This is for everyone's safety. Just because Harry is, well, Harry, we're not going to put his safety ahead of anyone else's, though we, and Dumbledore, do realize that he is in more danger than the rest of us. We want everyone to be safe."  
  
"Which is why we are going to instate, with the Staff, the following rules," William interjected. "No students are allowed outside of the dormitories alone. If they need to use the loo, they can ask a room mate, or a Prefect to go with them, this also goes for the Prefects. We don't want anyone alone in the halls; also remember to bring your wands. We're also going to ask the sixth and seventh years to help out with this. All Quidditch practices will be supervised by Madame Hooch and unfortunately Hogsmeade trips will be cancelled."   
  
Surprisingly it wasn't the cancelled Hogsmeade trips that brought everyone up into an uproar. It was the no students out of the dormitories rule that brought out the uproars. Alicia thought that late night snog sessions would probably be caught short. To no surprise, it was Blaise and Draco who put up the biggest fight. However after an hour, making them all late for dinner, everyone stopped arguing. Alicia suspected that it had more to do with the fact that they were all hungry than with everyone's principles.   
  
  
  
  
Katie's palms were sweating and she realized that it probably had nothing to do with the rough exercises that Angelina had put them through. She jerked off her wrist guards and saw Angelina and Alicia giving her funny looks from the other side of the girls locker room. They were waiting for her to apologize, and Angelina had even gone so far as to tell Oliver that she needed to talk to him after practice.   
  
"How was the Prefect's meeting?" Katie asked, trying to think of something, anything else, than having to thank Oliver.   
  
"Let me guess," Angelina said. "Roger was a total prat the whole time and Rose and William were late?"  
  
"How did you guess?" Alicia asked in mock surprise. "No, actually, there is something that I need to tell you guys about. Some new rules and guidelines, I'll have to tell the boys about it too. I've left Cate to talk to the sixth years." Alicia then explained the new rules to them. Katie shrugged. They seemed pretty fair to her.  
  
"As long as I don't wind up dead, I don't really care," Angelina said. "I'm sure it's for the best."  
  
"That's what I thought," Alicia said, pulling a pink shirt over her head. "But there was a big uproar."  
  
"About Hogsmeade trips?" Katie asked, pulling her jeans over her hips.  
  
"No, actually, about not being able to wonder the halls," Alicia said, rolling her eyes.  
  
"We're not supposed to do that anyway," Angelina said.  
  
"Try telling the Slytherins that," Alicia mumbled. "Thankfully the Heads of Houses are going to each house tonight to explain the new rules to the fifth years and lower. Gets me out of it, its bad enough telling you guys about it and I truly feel sorry for Cate." They finished dressing as they complained about the Slytherins, one of their favorite activities, and talked about their chances against Ravenclaw. Katie grinned when she saw how badly Alicia was dying to beat Davies; she figured that he might just have the Quaffle accidentally aimed at his head a few times.   
  
Katie had completely forgotten about talking to Oliver until they headed out of the locker room and Oliver was leaning against the locker room door, looking way to comfortable in a green jumper and a pair of khaki trousers. She gulped as Angelina and Alicia made excuses to why they had to head up to the dormitory.  
  
"Angelina said you wanted to talk to me," he said softly, a lot softer than he normally he spoke. She bit her lip. This was going to be harder than she thought.  
  
"I would like to say er, erm, thank you for saving me from falling today," she said, looking down at her feet. She looked up at him, he wasn't looking at her, and he was staring out towards the Pitch. She took several deep breaths. C'mon Katie, say it, she told herself. Apologizing to Oliver was the hardest thing she'd ever done, though she needed too. "And I'm sorry that I called you a child molesting badger."  
  
Oliver turned his face toward her. He had a sort of half grin on his face. "You're welcome and its okay." He turned to walk away, and Katie immediately knew, for some reason, she didn't want him to walk away from her. Her palms were sweating again and her heart was pounding in her ears.  
  
"I really am sorry Oliver," she called. He turned to face her. His expression was unreadable, and his eyes softened towards her. He still didn't say anything.  
  
"I know," he said, and walked away. Katie stood there, confused, until he entered the castle. Finally, her thoughts became coherent again, and she walked into the castle, running all the way to Gryffindor Tower.  
  
  
  
  
"Katie's been quiet all night," Angelina said, once she heard Katie's soft snores from her bed.   
  
"Do you think Oliver let her have it?" Alicia asked.  
  
"We're talking about Oliver, he wouldn't hurt Katie's feelings on purpose," Angelina said.   
  
"I know, she's just been acting weird lately," Alicia said. Angelina flipped over onto her back. "All she does is either stare off into space or moan about Oliver."   
  
"She caught her sleeve on fire today in Potions. Fred put it out before she even realized what was going on," Angelina said.   
  
Fred was Katie's Potion's partner and had been since the day that the Weasley twins had been forbidden from working together.  
  
"Is that what Snape was yelling about? I tuned him out." They were quiet for a while longer. Angelina kept thinking about her friend's bizarre behavior as of late. "I keep thinking about the story she told us about Oliver."  
  
"I know. It's bizarre. Oliver and Katie kissing, and the conversation she overheard."  
  
"What if," Alicia began. "What if there was more to that conversation? Oliver isn't like that. I just don't see him insulting Katie, when he didn't even know her, or any of us for that matter? What do you think?"  
  
"I don't know, Alicia," Angelina replied. She had been honestly confused when Katie had shared the story with her. It seemed totally bizarre for Oliver to behave that way, it certainly wasn't standard behavior. On the other hand, Katie often had a temper, but she wasn't prone to exaggerate, even when it came to her hatred for Oliver.  
  
"Do you think we ought to talk to him about it?"   
  
"I think that's the last thing we ought to do," Angelina said firmly. "Katie would have both of our heads if we did that. We should definitely not get involved. I don't want to be on the other side of her temper or Quaffle for that matter."  
"  
You're probably right. I just hope she can put that aside for a while. I'm worried about her."  
  
"I know, but we can't do anything about it, so let's just go to sleep." 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
  
  
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^  
  
  
After about a week of broken sleep, Oliver had come up with two possible conclusions about Katie Bell. The first was that he was confused by her and the second was that she was an incredibly irritating person at times. The second had come to him quicker than the first. Katie, who had sincerely apologized after Quidditch practice only the week before had in the past week, accidentally hit him in the back of the head with the Quaffle, flown into him during practice knocking him off of his broom, stepping on his foot earlier that week, and then finally only yesterday for some reason she had been holding a Bludger bat. He wasn't sure why she had it, but it flew out of her hand, or so she said, and had smacked him hard right on the forehead. The Weasley twins had to be quartentined twenty minutes so they would stop laughing.  
  
So on Halloween morning it was not a surprise to Oliver that he was in an unnatural foul mood. His head still hurt, he hadn't slept well, and well, he just felt like being a prat to everyone that day. He took his normal seat at the Head Table, Madame Hooch's old seat, and he helped himself to the bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast that the house elves made that morning.  
Halfway through breakfast Katie, Alicia, and Angelina arrived. Alicia and Angelina looked put together as usual, but he could tell even as far away as he was, that she had deep circles under her eyes and she just looked exhausted. He kept looking at her, confused as to why he couldn't stop thinking about her and why he was so confused by her. He should loathe her. Fred and George had asked him at one point why he never retaliated against her. Oliver had just shrugged at that point, not really answering. The closest he had ever come to retaliating was when they would get in their famous rows. He had even convinced himself for a while that he hated her, but he didn't. And that's what confused him.  
  
He felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped halfway out of his chair, nearly knocking over the Professor next to him. He turned to see Dumbledore standing behind him, with an odd expression on his face.  
  
"Oliver, can I please talk to you for a moment, there's a favor I need of you," he asked. He nodded and followed the Headmaster out into a chamber adjoining the Great Hall. Once the door was closed he began speaking again. "There has been a death in one of the student's families. They obviously will need to go home for a few days, to grieve and attend the funerals. I however, with Death Eater activity on the rise, would only feel comfortable with this student going if there was a Hogwart's teacher with them. Very sad, the poor dear has no wizarding relatives alive and as a minor is not supposed to do magic strictly speaking, but you're aware of that."  
  
Oliver bit his tongue, Dumbledore was babbling, and Oliver was itching to tell him that. He didn't, however, but replied.   
  
"You want to send me with the student then?"  
  
"Yes Oliver, yes, if you would not mind."  
  
"Just tell me when sir." Oliver silently thought that perhaps the time away would be good for his brain; he needed to be far from Katie as possible.  
  
  
  
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"I hate this class," Katie muttered to Fred as she situated herself in her chair. It was Divination, and Katie was tired, irritable, and not in the mood to deal with Trelawney's mystic voice.   
  
"Why haven't we dropped it yet?" he asked.  
  
"Because this is the easiest class ever," George said from Fred's other side. "Besides, would you rather have taken Arithmancy?"  
  
"No," Fred, Lee, and Katie answered at the same time.   
  
"Angelina and Alicia are mad for taking that class," Lee said from Katie's left.  
  
"What are we doing today?" Fred asked.  
  
"Peeling those bloody apples again," Lee muttered. "Soul mates my arse."  
  
"Better not let those bloody Hufflepuffs hear you mate," George said. "They're nutters about this class."  
  
"Well they are Hufflepuffs," Fred muttered. Katie shook her head.  
  
"At least we're done with the chickens or whatever they were," Katie said. The boys nodded.  
  
"Those were disturbing classes," Lee muttered, shaking his head.   
  
"So what's the deal-" Fred started to ask, but was interrupted by McGonagall entering their classroom. The four Gryffindors shared confused looks and even the Hufflepuffs stopped discussing who their sole mate was long enough to look a bit confused.  
  
"Miss Bell," McGonagall said. "I need to talk to you. Please gather your books." Katie felt the butterflies in her stomach kick in.  
Fred was kind enough to make her feel better, or something because he muttered, "See Katie I told you not to try to kill Oliver" while she grabbed her bag. She shot him an incredibly dirty look and followed McGonagall down the steps to her office. What if Oliver had told her what she'd done? Would she be expelled or worse? Would she have to apologize to him again? She really hadn't meant to hit him with it. She'd actually been aiming for George, Oliver just got in the way and by the look she gave her, he didn't think that it was an accident. Well who could blame him really, she thought. Like it or not he was now a teacher.  
When the entered her office, she motioned for Katie to sit down so she did. She noticed the unusually grim look on McGonagall's face now and she was confused. Surely, accidentally hitting Oliver didn't deserve that kind of face?  
"Miss Bell, Katie, I have some terrible news for you." The blood that was flowing in her veins stopped, she was sure. She gulped, what was going on? "It's about your mother." Katie's nails dug into the arm rests of the chair. "She was in a car crash late last night, and I'm sorry Katie. You'll be sent home immediately."  
  
"She's all right though, right?" Katie asked, noticing that McGonagall hadn't said that her mother was well. She didn't want to think about it. "She just wants to see me for a few days." Tears began forming in her eyes when her Head of House didn't say anything right away. "Correct Professor?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but no, your mother didn't make it. She's no longer with us Miss Bell." Katie's hand flew to her mouth and a sob escaped her throat. McGonagall's eyes were sympathetic as she squeezed her student's shoulder.  
  
  
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"Have you guys seen Katie?" Alicia asked at lunch. Fred, George, Lee, and Katie all had Divination and Care of Magical Creatures on Tuesday mornings while Alicia and Angelina had Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Normally the four of them would meet Alicia and Angelina for lunch and then they'd all go to History of Magic together, but today Katie was missing.  
"McGonagall pulled her out during Divination, haven't seen her since," Lee said looking worried. He slid next to her and she squeezed his hand.  
  
"Do you think she got in trouble for hitting Oliver?" Alicia asked, now worried. "I know she didn't mean to. I think she wanted to his George."  
  
"Well that just makes it so much better," George replied sarcastically from across the table. Alicia made a face.  
  
"I'm worried too," Angelina said.   
  
"McGonagall didn't look happy at all," Lee said. "How hard did Katie hit him?"  
  
"Hard enough," Fred and George said at the same time.  
  
"Probably saw stars," Fred said, taking a bite of his food.  
  
"Wouldn't be the first bleeding time," George said.  
  
"What is your problem today?" Angelina asked, dropping her fork. "What's shoved up your arse?"  
  
"Angelina, don't..." Fred warned. Alicia had caught on to George's bad attitude as well. He wasn't usually like this, and he'd been in a good mood at breakfast. George didn't say anything else, and no one offered up any information as to why he was in a bad mood. Lee had just shrugged.  
  
"Okay," Alicia said, turning the conversation back to where she'd started it. "What about Katie? Do you think she's in the dormitory?"  
  
"Maybe she did get in trouble," Angelina said.   
  
"Should we check upstairs?"   
  
"We just sat down to eat," Fred whined. "Can't it wait?"  
  
"You don't have to come with us," Alicia said. "In fact if it's something really bad, you probably shouldn't."  
"Good," George muttered, and she shared a shrug with Angelina. What was wrong with him? The two girls left their food half eaten and practically ran up the seven flights of stairs to Gryffindor tower. Out of breath, they flew into their dormitory, only to find Katie putting some of her things in her trunk. Alicia felt as if her worst fears were confirmed, and apparently so were Angelina's because they started talking at the same time.  
  
"We'll tell McGonagall…"  
  
"…only an accident…"  
  
"…bloody Oliver…"  
  
"…strangle him with my own hands…"  
  
"…kill George for hacking you off…"  
  
"…unbelievable."  
  
Katie turned towards them and Alicia saw that her friend's eyes were bloodshot. Katie What's Crying Bell had been crying? She was expelled for sure.  
  
"Don't worry you guys, its not that, I'll be back," she said, smiling though Alicia could tell that it wasn't a normal real Katie smile. She just looked sad.  
  
"What's going on then?" Alicia asked. She saw Katie look down at her feet and bite her lip, whatever it was; it was not good at all. Katie took a deep shaky breath.  
  
"Mum died this morning." Katie was still shaking.  
  
"Merlin, Katie, I'm so sorry," Angelina said. Alicia felt too bad for her friend to say anything. She had met Katie's mum just last summer when the three of them had met at Katie's house to attend a Holyhead Harpies match. Her mum had been so sweet and nice, made sure that the girls had fresh cookies when they came home from the match, and had told them that though the flat was small, they were welcome anytime.   
  
"When is the funeral?" Alicia asked, finally being able to string together a sentence.  
  
"We'll be attending of course," Angelina added, nodding.  
  
"Friday, according to the owl from Grandmum," Katie replied. "I told McGonagall that you would want to go, and she said that was fine. She'll make arrangements for you to attend. One of the professors will be along shortly; they're going to have to stay with me. Dumbledore's worried."  
  
"Maybe it will be Snape, no Potions," Angelina said.  
  
"Don't say that!" Katie said. "I don't want Snape following me around all week. I should be back Sunday."  
  
"Are you going to be okay?" Alicia asked. Katie didn't say anything for a bit.  
"As okay as I'm going to be," Katie said feebly. "It's time for me to go." Alicia and Angelina hugged her and they watched her drag her trunk out of the door. "See you Friday."  
  
Alicia watched her friend leave; Katie wasn't saying anything in true Katie fashion. She hoped that her friend would hold up all right.  
  
  
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Oliver stood in the doorway of the Great Hall; waiting for whomever the poor dear was that had lost their parent. Dumbledore never said who it was exactly; he had been imagining the student for most of the day, trying to figure out who it was. He really hadn't had any leads, in fact he was preoccupied enough not to notice whether Katie was at lunch or not. That had been the one good thing about the day, the current obsession he had with Katie had vanished for the day.   
  
He heard the bell ring. Students should be in class by now so whoever came down those steps, he would be spending until Sunday with. He hoped that it wasn't some nasty know it all Slytherin, like Draco Malfoy. Maybe it would be some easy going Hufflepuff. Hell, it could be anybody.  
  
He heard the footsteps before he saw the person. Nervously he waited, and finally when the person arrived, their hazel eyes locked with his brown ones. He was supposed to escort Katie Bell home. She looked as surprised as he felt, however there was more to it. There was something missing in her face, a lose; she wasn't her normal self for today, that was for sure.  
  
She finally made it to the bottom step, still looking a bit surprised. She gave him a weak smile. he placed her trunk next to his.  
  
"I'm glad you're not Snape," she said softly, a tone that he was sure he'd never heard come from her mouth before. She gave him yet another weak smile. "Ahead of time, I just want to say thank you Oliver."  
  
"You're welcome," Oliver replied, still surprised that it was Katie. "We…we should get going." She nodded. He took out his wand and made the trunks feather light so that he could carry the both of them. They headed out the door. Dumbledore arranged a carriage to pick them up and take them to Hogsmeade. There they would Floo from Three Broomsticks to The Leaky Cauldron. Dumbledore had then told him that Katie's flat was close enough for them to walk from there.   
  
He held the door to the carriage for her; and he got the same weak smile as before. He slid into the seat across from her. She was tapping her foot on the floorboard and looked outside. "There are a few things you need to know." She said it almost so soft that he didn't hear her. He wasn't used to this Katie. "Mum isn't…wasn't a fully qualified witch. Most everything in the flat will be Muggle." She looked at him, their eyes locked again. "My Grandmum is a Squib, she can't do magic, Grandfather is dead, so the funeral will be small. Just my aunts, Mum's friends, my sister, brother, and I."  
  
"What about your dad?"   
  
Katie snorted. "I haven't talked to him since I began Hogwart's; supposedly I have some younger half siblings. He left Mum after my brother and sister were born, nearly nine years ago. He's shacked up with a tart somewhere in America. Let's not talk about it." The two of them were silent; Katie was looking back out the window again.   
  
She didn't' say anything again until they were about to Floo, when she said 'The Leaky Cauldron'. He followed her to the flat where she pulled a key ring out of her bag; she still had her school uniform on, but without the robe. She unlocked the door and Oliver's nose was filled with the sent of fresh Juniper and something else that was distinctly Katie.  
  
They entered the living room which was cluttered but clean. Pictures of four different people lined every surface and every wall. A few of them actually moved. There was one of Katie flying, she looked barely nine, but she was on a broom and had the Quaffle in her hand. The back of her robe read Junior Quidditch League. There was another picture of her with two blonde younger versions of herself, one boy, one girl, all three of them smiling. That picture looked to be more recent.  
  
"Emma and Andrew, my brother and sister, they're twins, are with my Grandmum." Oliver jumped at the sound of her voice. He looked up to see her frowning at a picture of a woman. He walked over to where she was to look closer at the picture. She was blonde but had green eyes, not hazel like Katie. Her face was oval shaped and she had high cheekbones. However it was her eyes, though green, that made him think of Katie. They had the same look in them, a mix of mischief, independence, and a little bit of something else, a secret that would never be told.  
  
"She's beautiful," he finally said.  
  
"Thank you." He looked at Katie to see that she had tears welling up in her eyes. "I miss her already."   
  
  
  
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"It's weird being here without her," Angelina said. She looked at the clock, eleven, she couldn't sleep, not with someone missing from their room.  
  
"The feast was lonely," Alicia replied.  
  
"She took it like I thought she would," Angelina said, staring at the ceiling.  
  
"We'll see her Friday."  
  
"The boys want to come with us; Fred talked to me about it. They decided that the whole Quidditch team needed to be there for her, and that included Lee I guess."  
  
"Do you think that Harry will be able to go?"  
  
"I doubt it." Angelina sighed. "He really wants to go though; he knows what its like to lose a parent he said, even if he doesn't remember them."  
  
"Trying to be Harry the Hero?" Alicia asked.  
  
"I don't understand Harry so I couldn't even begin to answer that question. But I tell you what, I am forever grateful to that boy. The things he does, wow, I can't imagine having the bravery to do that. But he does and never asks for anything in return."  
  
"That's very philosophical of you Angelina, especially for it being this time of night."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"I must say that I agree with you though. I will forever bow down and worship the Boy Who Lived."  
  
"I bet he hates that title."  
  
"Me too."  
  
"I miss Katie."  
  
"Me too. I hope she's okay."  
  
"We'll see her Friday." Angelina rolled over and was about to sleep when a scream pierced the silence of Gryffindor Tower.  
  
  
  
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End file.
